a response to http://bit.ly/articleonhipsters

“The fact is that consumers can now make choices that are not beholdent [sic] to notions that surround a particular music, but based on the actual music itself.”

you can’t ever step outside of the music’s contingency. the only thing we are beholden to is the contingency of signifier and signified.

“actual music itself”? there is no access to the actual music itself. there is only access to our observation.

i also entirely disagree with this: “We are entering an era where “way of life” music genres (genres which stand oppositional to other genres) are rapidly losing their hold over consumers’ aesthetic choices.”

all genres stand oppositional to other genres. that’s what makes a genre a genre. the relational aspect. if a song doesn’t fit any genre it starts its own genre. too electronic to be shoegazer?? shoegazer-electronica it is! so as far as i can tell this claim is that all genres are rapidly losing their hold over consumers’ aesthetic choices.

and what is an aesthetic choice in music? the choice to listen to something because it is artfully pleasing? or, really the choice to listen to music in order to look aesthetically pleasing to others? personally i think that this is closer to the definition of hipster. the hipster consumer makes aesthetic choices rather than utilitarian choices. the hipster that shops in thrift stores get a free pass on this one, at least they did some work to look cool.

I agree with dustin. while i don’t think anyone can step outside of the contingency of mass media, culture and societal norms, the hipster is certainly an obvious barometer for these influences.

we’re all in this together i’m not gonna fault someone for looking different. if everyone has “i am a beautiful and unique snowflake” tattooed on their arm however, they are no longer unique. they all become part of the same signifier. (above and beyond the bit about us ALL being decaying organic matter who kick inert symbols back and forth)

furthermore, i don’t find the “Hipster” to be very faithful to being postmodern, poststructuralist, antifoundationist ETC., ETC. they appropriate from the surface for the surface. but whatever, i’m not going to say that any one else can do any better, or that it’s the worst thing to do.